Author Topic: Foil Flex, How much is too much?  (Read 3326 times)

SUPeter

  • Sunset Status
  • ****
  • Posts: 455
    • View Profile
    • Email
Foil Flex, How much is too much?
« on: March 30, 2021, 07:32:39 AM »
Just finished building and testing my latest foil.   Decided to go with only 2 layers of 45 degree 6 oz S-glass.  Again, there is an internal carbon cord skeleton buried in polyurethane foam and, in high stress areas, a mixture of micro-balloons and milled fibers.  After testing for strength, I decided not to put the usual 1 layer of 3K carbon twill over the surface. 

This wing has amazing flex, no appreciable twist, just flex.   It rides so smooth it feels like I'm on a fully suspended mountain bike.  Even while testing it in boil ridden river current. 

  Funny thing happened yesterday .  While loading it back on my truck a 40 mph gust picked of the whole rig and slammed it onto the parking lot pavement.   I mean, really slammed it.  I was shocked.  If you ever picked up my 6 ft Fugly, you'd agree with me, Its a PIG.  It weighs far too much.  All this weight came down right on 1 wing of my new foil.  Miraculously, I watch as the wing bent like a fishing pole and sprang that board right back into the air. That's when the board damage occurred.  My only reaction at that point.  A thumbs up.  Yep!  Its all I could think of doing.  I was just so amazed that the wing did not snap.  Its only 3" cord length and 1/4" thick at that point.  All there was for damage was a compression crease on one side which has since been repaired.  The board on the other hand did not fair as well.  Ill be chopping those front corners off anyway.  Just sooner than I had anticipated.

So, how flexy is too flexy?  I hope to play around with this parameter a bit more.  Just wondered if anyone had any real world input.    Ill try to post a video to indicate just how flexible this foil is. 


Cheers!

Califoilia

  • Axis Demo Rep
  • Teahupoo Status
  • ******
  • Posts: 1510
  • San Clemente
    • View Profile
    • Email
Re: Foil Flex, How much is too much?
« Reply #1 on: March 30, 2021, 08:24:05 AM »
I'm not sure I really know what "flexy" in a wing actually feels like. 🤔

I know what flex in a mast feels like, but being able to distinguish a difference in flex of one wing from another...I can't really say I know what I should be feeling if/when it happens. 🤷‍♂️
Me: 6'1"/185...(2) 5'1" Kings Foil/Wing Boards...7'10 Kings DW Board...9'6" Bob Pearson "Laird Noserider"...14' Lahui Kai "Manta"...8'0" WaveStorm if/when the proning urges still hit.

Beasho

  • Cortez Bank Status
  • *****
  • Posts: 3224
    • View Profile
Re: Foil Flex, How much is too much?
« Reply #2 on: March 30, 2021, 09:51:30 AM »
So, how flexy is too flexy?  I hope to play around with this parameter a bit more.  Just wondered if anyone had any real world input.    Ill try to post a video to indicate just how flexible this foil is. 
Cheers!

I think you are blazing your own trail here.  You will have to keep us informed and yes PLEASE share photos and videos.

SUPeter

  • Sunset Status
  • ****
  • Posts: 455
    • View Profile
    • Email
Re: Foil Flex, How much is too much?
« Reply #3 on: March 30, 2021, 05:00:00 PM »
Just got back from testing the foil on the seldom seen river wave we typically surf this time of year.  This flex shit could be good.  Foiling river waves tends to be a rather frustrating discipline, mainly due to boils and turbulence.  I’ve never had a wing this wide on this wave and brought along a smaller wing which I fully expected in resorting to.   Not necessary.  This wing flew better, sucked up boils better, and glided longer in the trough than all other wings I’ve tested.  A noticeable increase  in performance for sure.  Flex aside, it had an amazing ability to pump up on foil behind the peak and fly back, upstream, over the peak and onto the wave face.  That’s never happened to me before.  This should be great fun for SUP foiling and maybe even a foiling 360 on the wave face.  Keep dreaming, I know!  All in all, very pleased in its performance, and I no longer have to worry about over flexing this wing.  After the parking lot incident, I trust it implicitly.    By the way, I would love to get some underwater action video of this wing to actually see what’s going on down there.  Any ideas as to how this could be accomplished?

jondrums

  • Peahi Status
  • *****
  • Posts: 894
    • View Profile
Re: Foil Flex, How much is too much?
« Reply #4 on: March 30, 2021, 05:22:50 PM »
Seems like the difference could very well be due to the wing design (profile, section, twist, ect).  The only way to really know is make another wing with the same geometry but stiffer or less stiff and see what happens.  That's one of the toughest things about foiling technology development - very hard to change just one thing from iteration to iteration, and even then, nature is chaos and makes it very tough to A/B test anything due to changing conditions.

surfcowboy

  • Cortez Bank Status
  • *****
  • Posts: 4929
    • View Profile
Re: Foil Flex, How much is too much?
« Reply #5 on: March 30, 2021, 07:50:53 PM »
Someone test one of these in the whitewash of a wave. Whitewater hits are the holy grail for surf foiling. If a flexing wing makes this work I’ll be very excited.

Conventional wisdom is prime for challenging.

SUPeter

  • Sunset Status
  • ****
  • Posts: 455
    • View Profile
    • Email
Re: Foil Flex, How much is too much?
« Reply #6 on: April 01, 2021, 05:35:01 AM »
Here is he kinda flex I was referring to. I think you need to download it first then open it.
« Last Edit: April 01, 2021, 05:36:44 AM by SUPeter »

Dontsink

  • Sunset Status
  • ****
  • Posts: 336
    • View Profile
    • Email
Re: Foil Flex, How much is too much?
« Reply #7 on: April 01, 2021, 06:33:31 AM »
Wow, this is very interesting , could potentially make foils faster,turnier and easier to control.

I kind of pity manufacturers, every little change in shape has huge effect on a foil's behaviour and now flex is thrown into the mix :)

jondrums

  • Peahi Status
  • *****
  • Posts: 894
    • View Profile
Re: Foil Flex, How much is too much?
« Reply #8 on: April 04, 2021, 08:24:25 PM »
wow - thanks for the video.  beautiful wing

clay

  • Teahupoo Status
  • ******
  • Posts: 1138
    • View Profile
    • www.clayisland.com
    • Email
Re: Foil Flex, How much is too much?
« Reply #9 on: April 05, 2021, 08:28:35 AM »
By the way, I would love to get some underwater action video of this wing to actually see what’s going on down there.  Any ideas as to how this could be accomplished?

I have an idea and a camera, yet to try it, my water is usually to murky and not worth the effort.  Send me an email if you want to know more.
Aloha, I welcome and appreciate all responses of positivity and good feeling.

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOIE6FWr1SpWvbPJIIiEgog

 


* Recent Posts

SimplePortal 2.3.7 © 2008-2024, SimplePortal